Two Ward, Smith Cases Make 2016 Top 100 Verdicts List
Two verdicts won by East Texas law firm Ward, Smith & Hill are among the list of top 100 verdicts from 2016 as compiled by The National Law Journal.
In one of the cases, firm founder Johnny Ward helped VirnetX win a $302 million patent verdict against Apple Inc. After one week of trial, the jury awarded the amount based on Apple’s infringement of four of VirnetX’s internet security patents. The $302 million verdict was the ninth largest verdict overall in the U.S., and fourth largest IP verdict in 2016.
And in the other case, name partner Wes Hill successfully convinced a jury that Apple Inc. willfully infringed on a patent owned by Cellular Communications Equipment resulting in an award of $22 million for past damages. The seven-day trial revealed how Apple knowingly infringed the patent in its iPhones and iPads.